On March 1st, in the late afternoon, officers and Gang Unit detectives were monitoring a large gathering of people attending a viewing of a recent homicide victim. Several times throughout the event, officers and detectives had to break up disturbances among people attending the viewing in the 9000 Block of Rainier Avenue South.
At approximately 5:15 pm, a vehicle drove past the viewing location on Rainier Avenue South and revved the engine in an apparent attempt to draw attention. Detectives recognized the vehicle. As detectives got behind the vehicle, they observed the driver ducking down behind the wheel and reaching toward the center console. The vehicle was pulled over in the 5000 Block of South Barton Place, and the three occupants inside were contacted. Detectives immediately smelled marijuana coming from inside the car and the three were removed from the vehicle. A loaded handgun was recovered from the glovebox. The driver, a 22 year old male and convicted felon, was arrested and later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Felon in Possesion of a Firearm. The other two occupants were interviewed and released.
It is the belief of the detectives that the suspect intended to get as close to the viewing as possible and commit a shooting. Because officers and detectives were proactively monitoring this event, a potential shooting was averted.